Sports flooring

ABSTRACT

Improved sports flooring for practicing sports indoor as in sports halls, for example basketball, football, handball, volleyball, etc. It has improved biomechanical characteristics and the vertical bouncing height is higher than 90%, having also a friction coefficient appropriate to run and rotate rapidly. It is comprised of a double-panel marine (quality) plywood (1,3) joined to each other with angle offset of 45°. Elements or feet (2) made of rubber or the like, in contact with the ground, are added or stapled to the lower panel (1). On the visible face of the second marine panel (3) is applied a layer of glue for lying sticking the agglomerated cork sheets (4), in a joined configuration. Finally, two varnish layers (5) are applied.

OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, as the title of these specifications discloses,relates to an improved sports flooring (pavement), that brings severalfunctional and practical advantages over products that exist in today'smarket.

This new pavement, for indoor applications, uses as main materialpressed cork, with the following advantages:

The final product cost is less than the present ones.

It is a highly natural and ecological product because the amount ofmaterial necessary is much less than the rest of floorings.

It is an excellent thermic isolator and acoustic corrector.

It provides an optimum isolator of vibrations, as well as a very highmechanical resistance.

Humidity practically does not alter its structure nor its dimensionalstability.

It has a high index of incombustibility, as well as a high resistance tochemical agents, parasites and microorganisms.

Its main component, (pressed cork), abounds in Spain, since it is one ofthe main producing countries.

Its life is considerably greater that other floorings, requiring onceinstalled, minimum maintenance that would be reduced to varnishing andsandpapering processes with a minimum frequency.

A sports flooring must be conceived to be used depending on the sportsto be practiced on it. The type of sports and its rules delimitate thecharacteristics, known as "federal" or "by regulations", such asdimensions, ball bounce, etc.. These requirements are created by thesports normative tradition and the sports accessories used, such asballs, goals, pole, etc. But once these minimal requirements areovercome, it is necessary that the flooring be adapted to asportsperson, helping to improve his/her yield and protecting the userfrom possible lesions. The latter ones being the biomechanicalcharacteristics of the pavement.

Of course, there are construction normative requirements regardingdurability and maintenance. The proposed pavement is used indoors as insports halls, for example basketball, football, volleyball etc..

The most important requirement is the vertical bouncing height of theball.

The most important biomechanical characteristics that should be takeninto consideration are impact amortization and friction between shoesand ground.

BACKGROUND ART

At the present time the sports floorings used are those comprisingseveral wood elements, glued, joined, or assembled to each other.

These pavements reach a high price and require cutting a considerablenumber of trees for their manufacture. Also, wooden pavements aresusceptible to the humidity, highly combustible and their biomechanicalcharacteristics, (impact absorption, shoe friction, ground etc.), arenot acceptable.

On the other hand, the bouncing of a ball in these kind of pavementsrarely reaches 90% of the ball bouncing height that require differentfederal international organizations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The improved sports flooring, subject of the invention, overcomes allthe previously mentioned inconveniences, constituting a technicalsolution, with an interesting future expectation because it optimizesideal specifications that must be taken in consideration to define thequality of a sports flooring with the characteristics in question.

In general terms, the structure of the improved sports flooringdisclosed herein, is defined by the combination of a double-panel marine(quality) plywood, multilayer and preferably having 24 millimeters ofthickness with agglomerated and pressed panels of cork with approximate550 kg/m³ of density, two films of varnish is given to the upper surfaceand the whole structure of panel and layers is supported by feet made ofcork or rubber material that isolate the flooring from the ground.

The cork elements are nailed to one of the marine plywood panel,specifically to the lower one, and the second marine plywood panel isplaced adjacent and glued to the first panel with the particularity ofhaving an angled offset of 45°. This combination of panels is rigidlystapled and glued.

After that, a layer of glue is applied to the second marine plywoodpanel and proceed with the setting of the cork plates, which aredisposed in interlock manner.

Finally two layers of varnish are applied and dried, finishing thestructure and configuration of the new flooring.

If desired, to simplify the mounting of the flooring, it is possible toomit the lower first marine plywood panel, being substituted by screedboards that will provide the support for the group on the ground.

To facilitate the best understanding of the characteristics of thepresent invention and forming part of this description, one page ofdrawings is accompanied with, wherein detailed description is for thepurpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitationsthereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an schematic representation of a partial cross section,showing the different layers of a sports flooring or pavement, inaccordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is an schematic top view, showing an angular offset of marineplywood panels.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the numerals adopted in the figures, we can see how thesports flooring includes first panel of marine plywood multilayers 1,leaning on the ground through feet or supports made out of cork, rubberor similar (material) 2, being these elements 2 mounted to panel 1, bygluing or stapling them preferably.

As shown in FIG. 2, over first panel 1 and 3 at angle offset of 45°, thesecond marine plywood panel 3 is stapled and glued.

The reference (numeral) 4 refers to the pressed and agglomerated sheet,having a density of approximately 550 kg/m³, as we had previouslyindicated.

Finally two layers of varnish are applied to finalize the pavement orsports flooring. The varnish layers is referred to with numeral 5.

I claim:
 1. In a sports flooring for practicing indoor sports in sportshalls, such as basketball, football, volleyball, wherein thebiomechanical characteristics of the flooring are important and thebouncing height of said flooring is higher than 90% with frictionalcoefficient suitable for playing said sports safely, and said flooringcomprising:A) first and second plywood panels joined to each with anoffset angle of approximately 45 degrees, and said joined first andsecond plywood panels having an underside and an upperside, B) aplurality of feet members mounted to said underside and said feetmembers being made out of rubber; C) a cork panel having first andsecond surfaces, said first surface being mounted over said uppersideand said cork panel having an approximate density of 550 Kg./m³ ; D) atleast two layers of varnish applied to the other surface of said corkpanel.